System and method for alarm generation based on the detection of the presence of a person

• US 7,109,861 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Generac Power Systems Incorporated (Generac Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rao, Ravishankar
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US10/723,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20050110637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541, 340/522, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/667, 348/135, 348/143, 348/152, 348/153, 348/156, 348/169, 348/161, 348/159, 707/204, 713/200, 713/201, 711/161, 711/162, 726 22- 23, 726 26- 27
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0202 Child monitoring systems using a transmitter-receiver system carried by the parent and the child
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

An automatic monitoring and sensing apparatus is provided for detecting an intruder or a person whose presence is undesired for one reason or another. According to one aspect of the invention, a method and apparatus are provided for automatically monitoring an environment for the presence of a person, and the invention issues an alarm when the environment changes while the person is still present. For example, the invention is capable of detecting a person in an unexpected or dangerous location in the environment, such as a baby or small child who has been left alone in an automobile. The invention initiates remedial action to safeguard the person. In another aspect, the inventive method and apparatus automatically monitors an environment that is intended to be kept secure, such as an environment where a computer system is installed, wherein the apparatus initiates a safeguarding action such as a pre-emptive automatic back-up of data in the computer system.

Claims

1. An intrusion detection system for an environment being monitored by at least one sensor, wherein the environment includes a computer system, the intrusion detection system comprising:

a face detection module coupled to the at least one sensor, the sensor providing sensor input to the face detection module such that one or more faces are detectable;

a face recognition module for comparing a detected face to a known database of faces and for identifying a scenario in which a high likelihood of illegitimate access to the environment exists; and

an electronic control module for initiating a preemptive data backup of the computer system in response to the identification of a scenario in which a high likelihood of illegitimate access to the environment exists.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an image monitoring system.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a change detection module for processing at least one image signal from the image monitoring system.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a tracking module for receiving an output signal from the change detection module.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a head detection module capable of receiving an output signal from the tracking module.